rec.autos.simulators

by **Haqsa** » Sun, 18 Nov 2001 08:50:56

I got Project Gotham Racing for the X Box today. Admittedly, this is an
arcade game, not a sim, but it's still a lot of fun. While there are no
real world race tracks or all-out race cars, the cities and the cars
that are presented are modelled very accurately. The detail is
incredible, almost photographic at times. The disc brakes even glow red
as you use them. But what I thought was most interesting is that the
physics model is really pretty good. I think that they boosted the
traction level and flattened the slip angle curve a little in the
interest of arcade style play, but other than that the cars behave quite
realistically. Simultaneous brake and throttle can be used to adjust
the rotation angle, downshifting at the wrong time can really***you
up, etc. Of the 25 cars available only the Mini Cooper, the SLK, and
the MR2 are available at first, you have to unlock the others by winning
points. The Mini Cooper is great fun, you can really throw it around a
corner, and the inside rear wheel lifts under extreme cornering just
like you would expect it to. Also noticed in the included replays that
the restyled 2003 Dodge Viper is one of the cars in the game. Very
nice. If you're a die hard simmer you probably won't like PGR, but if
you're just a car nut looking for a fun game PGR is pretty damn good.

by **David Indec** » Mon, 19 Nov 2001 09:17:14

Sounds good!

by **Haqsa** » Mon, 19 Nov 2001 08:05:49

I have only unlocked one new car so far, but I scrolled through the list
to see what will eventually be available. Here is the complete list in
the order that they become available. Keep in mind that only the first
three are available when you start:

Mini Cooper S
MR2 Spyder
SLK 320
New Beetle RSi
TT Roadster
TT Coupe
Z3 Roadster 3.0i
RX-8
Camaro SS
Boxster S
(Opel) Speedster
Focus Cosworth
Lancer Evolution VII
Impreza WRX
Esperante
Skyline GTR
Exige
F355 Spider
355 F1
V12 Vanquish
Corvette Z06
Feroce
360 Spider
360 Modena
Tuscan
Viper RT-10
911 GT2
Carrera GT
F50

Something for everyone, from econoboxes to muscle cars to ***s. I do
think it would have been nice to eliminate some of the duplicates (i.e.
both roadster and coupe versions of the same car) and add a Saleen S7, a
McLaren F1, and maybe a BMW M3 GTR or something. But it's still one
hell of a good line up as it is.

by **bagels'n'bre** » Mon, 19 Nov 2001 08:29:16

sorry, but i do not see an econobox anywhere in your list. the closest
thing is probably the impreza and on my modest budget, i hardly consider it
one.

imo, i like a game where i can drive a car that i can afford. that's one of
the reasons i liked gt's 1 and 2. civics and old used supras, cars i have a
chance of being able to drive someday. i don't know about where you live,
but F-50s, modenas, and vipers are a little hard to come by in montana.

by **Haqsa** » Mon, 19 Nov 2001 10:32:24

Read it again. Note the Mini Cooper? How about the New Beetle?
Granted those are sporty versions of econoboxes, but they are still
econoboxes underneath, IOW they are not that fast and they lean and
understeer like crazy.

Admittedly PGR is not really a GTx beater. Although I do think PGR's
visuals are a bit better. Not familiar with GT1 or 2, but from what I
have seen of GT3 it is certainly the hands down winner for number of
cars and tracks. Unfortunately I doubt that GT3 will ever make it to
the X Box, and I don't want to buy another console, so for now PGR will
have to do, for me.

Ack. Sorry, no way do I care to buy a game to drive a Civic.

montana.

And that's exactly why driving them in a game is fun - where else would
you ever get the chance?

by **mark jeangerar** » Mon, 19 Nov 2001 11:47:55

What I want to know is, have you lived in or do you live in any of the
cities in the game? I heard it accurately models SF down to 5 cm or
something. They've even photo'd store fronts for textures and stuff. How
cool is that? Who doesn't want to do 115mph through 27th at Balboa? Problem
is, in real life you can't be absolutely sure you'll avoid traffic at
anything over 70.

--

"Racing! - Science for the action minded."

mark

by **Haqsa** » Mon, 19 Nov 2001 14:50:45

Have not been to any of those cities, so I don't know for sure how
accurate they are, but I can say that the level of detail is near
photographic. I'm sure if I did live in one of those cities it would be
fantastic to race in them. Too bad they didn't do Detroit. Then again,
the amount of trash that they would have to put in the streets would
probably be too *** the frame rate. ;o)

> What I want to know is, have you lived in or do you live in any of the
> cities in the game? I heard it accurately models SF down to 5 cm or
> something. They've even photo'd store fronts for textures and stuff.
How
> cool is that? Who doesn't want to do 115mph through 27th at Balboa?
Problem
> is, in real life you can't be absolutely sure you'll avoid traffic at
> anything over 70.

> --

> "Racing! - Science for the action minded."

> mark

> > I got Project Gotham Racing for the X Box today. Admittedly, this
is an
> > arcade game, not a sim, but it's still a lot of fun. While there
are no
> > real world race tracks or all-out race cars, the cities and the cars
> > that are presented are modelled very accurately. The detail is
> > incredible, almost photographic at times. The disc brakes even glow
red
> > as you use them. But what I thought was most interesting is that
the
> > physics model is really pretty good. I think that they boosted the
> > traction level and flattened the slip angle curve a little in the
> > interest of arcade style play, but other than that the cars behave
quite
> > realistically. Simultaneous brake and throttle can be used to
adjust
> > the rotation angle, downshifting at the wrong time can really***
you
> > up, etc. Of the 25 cars available only the Mini Cooper, the SLK,
and
> > the MR2 are available at first, you have to unlock the others by
winning
> > points. The Mini Cooper is great fun, you can really throw it
around a
> > corner, and the inside rear wheel lifts under extreme cornering just
> > like you would expect it to. Also noticed in the included replays
that
> > the restyled 2003 Dodge Viper is one of the cars in the game. Very
> > nice. If you're a die hard simmer you probably won't like PGR, but
if
> > you're just a car nut looking for a fun game PGR is pretty damn
good.

by . » Mon, 19 Nov 2001 16:42:08

So what wheel is compatible with PGR?

by **Dav** » Mon, 19 Nov 2001 17:38:03

I'm with you. But frankly, I want it all! A lot of reviews of GT3 say
(heavily paraphrased) "removed the lesser cars, but who cares". Well, you and
me for two. Part of the big appeal for me is to "drive" cars that I have
driven in real life (or could) and see what they are like at 10/10ths (umm, and
beyond) and compare. Well, I know it isn't real, but if you make a reasonably
high fidelity sim, it's still a lot of fun. In GT2, I ran lap after lap on
"motorsports land" with Integra Type R's, S2000's, Miatas, MR2's, etc.

GT3 instead chose to remove these cars (and some of the fun tight/twisty tracks
designed for small cars) and replaced them with N variants of race Supras and
GTR's. For me, one of each of those (I don't need a Castrol and Pennzoil
version) is enough.

PGR? I still think it will be too arcadish for it to matter that it has all
these cars. Plus, if like MSR, I'd tire of it before I got half of them.
Sorry for being such a wet-blanket.

by **Haqsa** » Tue, 20 Nov 2001 02:15:00

There are several wheels in development for X Box, but none are
available yet. :(

by **Cyril M** » Tue, 20 Nov 2001 06:29:05

cna't use the one you ahve on ur PC if you have USB???

surely MS couldn't have been THAT dumb.

*fingers crossed*

> There are several wheels in development for X Box, but none are
> available yet. :(

> > So what wheel is compatible with PGR?

by **Haqsa** » Tue, 20 Nov 2001 08:21:40

No you can't, and yes they could have. ;o)

> cna't use the one you ahve on ur PC if you have USB???

> surely MS couldn't have been THAT dumb.

> *fingers crossed*

> > There are several wheels in development for X Box, but none are
> > available yet. :(

> > > So what wheel is compatible with PGR?